Our feathered friends (in this case, parrots) thrive on intellectual and physical stimulation. Keeping them engaged prevents boredom and stress, promotes their well-being, and unlocks their hilarious, playful personalities. Forget the basic toys and routine – let’s embark on a journey of true enrichment! In this guide, we’ll explore exciting DIYs, innovative foraging challenges, and stimulating social activities to keep your parrot chirping (or cackling) with joy.
Regardless of the size, parrots all have similar play requirements, so here’s our top 7 most recommended toys & enrichment items you can give your parrot for a fun time.
- Chewable Hanging Toys
- Parrots primarily feel things out with their beaks, meaning this is a huge point of play for them. With their incredibly strong bite forces, you will need these hanging toys to be fairly durable, so we suggest going with wood options rather than plastic, which if swallowed could potentially make your feathered friend ill. Try to get one with lots of different textures, as the varied feeling will make the toy more enticing.
- See a few options we recommend below:
- Rattan Balls
- Another great option for chewables, that also allow your feather friends to have something a little more pushable, that can be on the ground or a flat surface. Again, goal here is to stray away from plastic – choose wooden, actually rattan material balls to reduce the spread of plastic. Just keep a watch over them with time – they way become a little jagged after a lot of wear, to which they can get sharp and pokey and should be replaced.
- Here’s a few options:
- Edibles & Foraging Toys
- In the wild, parrots use their high intelligence to find food from all sorts of nooks and crannies. Give them a chance to flex their mental muscles while having a tasty snack with foraging devices and edible toys.
- Find a few options to buy some foraging toys below:
- Ladder Systems & Structures
- Time to unleash your parrot’s inner daredevil! Climbing isn’t just exercise, it’s an adventure. Ditch the perch routine and explore ladders, bridges, and structures that turn your cage into a vertical playground. From rope swings to wooden castles, these climbing havens will satisfy your parrot’s curiosity and keep them soaring with joy!
- Here’s a few good places to get these toys:
- Baby Motor Skills Toys
- Forget expensive bird-specific gizmos – try colorful stacking cups, textured rubber balls and simple ring toss games that infants use! Unleash the creativity within both you and your parrot, and turn playtime into an opportunity to test the limits of your parrots intelligence.
- Find a few places to get some good sized baby toys that work well for parrots:
- Training Toys & Devices
- Training toys go beyond simple chewing fun. They’re the key to engaging your feathered friend’s intelligence, strengthening your bond, and teaching them cool tricks. Witness your parrot transform into a problem-solving pro, mastering challenges and earning yummy rewards. Ditch the boredom, unleash the genius, and prepare to be amazed by your parrot’s newfound skills and tricks. Remember to give your parrot treats after they complete tasks you provide them, and don’t keep training sessions too long so as to make the process fun for them. We will follow up down the line with some training tips to get started teaching your parrot some cool skills!
- Here’s a few good places to get training devices/toys:
So what do you think? Do you agree with these picks?
We hope this provides you a few options for your parrot pals. Let us know what you think below!
